Everyday Outfits

Closet Confection: Fashion Week w/ RewardStyle + Gerard Yosca

how-to-dress-for-fashion-weekhow-to-dress-for-fashion-week-2rewardstyle-nyfw-empire-hotel-rooftop-party-2gerard-yosca-jewelry-2gerard-yosca-jewelry-1rewardstyle-nyfw-empire-hotel-rooftop-party-1rewardstyle-nyfw-empire-hotel-rooftop-party-3gerard-yosca-jewelry-4mercedes-benz-fashion-week-1gerard-yosca-jewelry-3mercedes-benz-fashion-week-2#rsnyfw{H&M Dress, Gerard Yosca Necklace + Bracelets borrowed via Model Citizen, Catbird Rings, Marc Jacobs Handbag, Valentino Sandals (similar here and here)}

Fashion Week generally comes and goes without much fanfare at Casa Closet Confections. But this past weekend, I made an exception and ventured to the RewardStyle party at the Empire Hotel. The lovely folks at Model Citizen lent me a few baubles from Gerard Yosca, and off I went to mingle with other bloggers and take in the amazing rooftop views of Midtown Manhattan… there may or may not have been a few spiked lemonades thrown in there as well for good measure.

Figuring out what to wear to these types of events always presents a fun challenge.  And as much as I would’ve loved to break out one of my fancy fall frocks for the festivities (say that 3 times fast!), the temps reached a BLAZING 90 degrees and the humidity was at an all time high. I’m not ashamed to admit that I often choose style over comfort, but this time I decided not to fight against Mother Nature with my outfit or my mane.  So I settled on a tropical print dress and embraced the inevitable frizz with a cotton candy-inspired ‘do.

I’m a natural introvert,  and cocktail parties typically aren’t my thing, but I wound up having a great time at the party and stayed a lot longer than I planned.  After leaving, the earlier threat of storm clouds seemed to lift, so I ventured across the street to Lincoln Center to do a bit of people-watching (one of my favorite pastimes).  I plopped myself on the steps for a good 20 minutes watching the parade of fashionable folks stream by.  And afterwards, I strolled the plaza with my camera in tow to snap a few photos of my favorite peacocks on display that day.  These girls were dressed to the nines and ready to spin and twirl for the camera on command, and I soaked up every minute of it along with all of the other photogs. I have to say it was pretty cool being behind the lens for a change, and I even managed to get snapped myself by a fellow blogger from Germany.

Thank you for reading, and be sure to check out these fabulous jewels from Gerard Yosca!

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Everyday Outfits Travel

Closet Confection: Toronto, Eh?

Introducing

After a few days visiting the fam in Detroit last month, Eric and I packed up our bags and hopped a train to Toronto for a few days. I’d been to Toronto a several times for work, but this was my first chance to really explore the city.  And I have to say that summer is hands-down my favorite time to visit since those Canadian winters can be brutal. We did a blind bid for a 4-star hotel on Priceline and wound up at the Renaissance Toronto Downtown Hotel, and I couldn’t have been more pleased.  The hotel is a part of the Rogers Centre complex and was right in the middle of all the action.   I’m usually unimpressed by room service selections, but we treated ourselves to breakfast in bed on our last day, and the pancakes were out of this world! Speaking of food, we certainly ate our fill while we were there!  Here’s a quick list of the memorable restaurants we visited during our stay:

  • Black Camel – Trust me, the pulled pork sandwich is well worth the mess.
  • Dumpling House – Right on Spadina Avenue in Chinatown, this restaurant serves possibly the best dumplings I’ve ever tasted.
  • Buca – All I can say is “save room for dessert” as the tiramisu will knock your socks off.
  • Paddington’s Pump – Located inside of the St. Lawrence Market, it’s called the Home of the Oink for good reason.
  • The Harbord Room – Get the burger, and thank me later.

In between stuffing our faces, we took the ferry out to Toronto Island and rented a Quadricycle for the afternoon – which turned out to be quite the leg workout, by the way. We also spent a rainy morning at Casa Loma followed by the Royal Ontario Museum. And in a rare moment of restraint, I spent an hour at Toronto’s famed Eaton Centre and walked out empty-handed. Below are a few snaps we took along the way for your viewing pleasure.  Enjoy!

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Thanks for reading!

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Everyday Outfits Lifestyle Travel

Closet Confection: Off to the Races w/ America’s Best Racing

What to Wear to the Race Track

Hello, Lovelies!

I hope you all had wonderful Labor Day weekends.  I personally had a great time, thanks to the AMAZING folks over at America’s Best Racing. To kick-off the long weekend, they invited a group of bloggers up to Saratoga Race Course to get the full VIP treatment. I’d never been to a horse race before, so I went in with zero expectations and wound up having an absolute blast.

My first major hurdle was figuring out what to wear to a race track.  We were instructed to pull out all the stops and don our finest racing attire.  So I made a beeline for eBay to scope out the perfect fascinator to go with my citrus-print dress.  While I was at it, I figured I might as well get fancy wrist gloves to match.  Eric got seersuckered up for the occasion, and off we went!

After arriving in Saratoga, we were treated to brunch (complete with an endless mimosa and bloody mary bar!) at Fasig-Tipton, a historic horse auction house.  During brunch we got to hear from star jockey Taylor Rice about her experiences as a female in a male-dominated sport.  We also got a crash-course in horse-betting from an experienced gambling pro. As it turns out, there’s a lot more to it than simply plunking down a fistful of cash on your favorite horse. Sadly, I can’t say that I was a very good student since I wound up $15 in the hole after everything was all said and done!

Despite my loss, I still had a wonderful time exploring the gorgeous grounds, getting up close and personal with the horses in the paddocks, and simply enjoying a new experience. And I can’t wait to go back again!

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Banana Republic Dress (similar), C. Wonder Clutch, J. Crew Belt, Prada Sunglasses, Fascinator via eBay (similar), Lace Gloves via Amazon, Guess Shoes

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America’s Best Racing is a horse racing fan development launched by the Jockey Club in 2013. In less than two years, ABR has been responsible for driving thousands of new fans to the races, including high-level influencers, celebrities, athletes, writers and bloggers. With an emphasis on the fun, food and fashion of a day at the races, combined with excitement and tradition of the sport of horse racing, ABR has emphatically demonstrated that the sport is back, and better than ever.

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